Bouquet of Flowers
Objective:
Recycle plastic cups and through the magic of chemistry, turn them into a colorful, flower bouquet. Perfect for Spring- simple, educational, and beautiful. My children love this project! The shapes created could be used for hair accessories, jewelry bowls, or simple string them and hang in a window for a lovely sun-catcher effect.
Materials:
- Plastic cups, plates, bowls, etc…
- Sharpies
- Scissors
- Optional: Stem wire, pipe cleaners, hot glue gun, vases or terracotta pots
Directions:
Color your cups with an assortment of Sharpie markers. I find the outcome is better when they are colored in as completely as possible rather than “scribble” style. Remember that the bottom of the cup will become the center of the flower.
Cut around the edge of the cup or cut slits for a more organic looking petal shape (adults should complete this step because small pieces of plastic could go flying in addition to plastic being tough to cut through).
Place the cups on a foil covered baking sheet and bake at 350 degrees for 2-5 minutes. Watch through the glass window to see them melt (very cool) and to make sure you don’t leave them in too long.
Remove them from the oven and let cool.
Create a smaller flower (plastic shot glasses work great) and glue it into the larger flower for added dimension. Hot glue a pipe cleaner or other stem material to the back and place them into a vase or pot. Enjoy!
Bonus: Research the science behind the melting of polymers!
